no title

Girl, 13, raped waiting for school bus, police say

View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoJim Woods | DispatchHere behind a vacant house at 1452 Myrtle Ave. in North Linden, a 13-year-old girl was raped while she was waiting for a school bus, police say.

More Articles

The 13-year-old girl was waiting alone at a North Linden school-bus stop early yesterday morning
when the man walked up to her and began talking.

Usually, she waited for the school bus with her younger brother and another student, said a
17-year-old girl who lives in the neighborhood and knows the girl.

But at 6:30 a.m. yesterday, the 13-year-old was by herself.

After a short conversation, Columbus police say, the man forced the girl behind a vacant house
at 1452 Myrtle Ave. and raped her. The house is two doors down from the Dresden Street/Myrtle
Avenue corner where she was waiting for the school bus.

Afterward, the man ran and the girl called for help, said Sgt. Mark Kaeppner of the Police
Division’s sexual-assault unit. The girl was treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is now
home.
The Dispatch does not use the names of sexual-assault victims.

She said her attacker was a short black man with a full beard whom police said was “unkempt.” He
wore a brown jacket and dark pants. Detectives have not yet identified him.

“We’re obviously checking other reports in the area,” Kaeppner said. “We’re checking any
registered sex offenders that reside in the area.”

The 17-year-old neighbor, who was afraid to give her name, said the victim is a student at
Mifflin Middle School.

Jeff Warner, a Columbus schools spokesman, said the district learned about the incident through
media reports but hadn’t determined by last night whether the girl is a Columbus student.

Nevertheless, he said, school-bus drivers will be alerted to pay special attention to that
neighborhood. He also said the district’s safety and security department will step up patrols
there.

Faye Barton, 76, has lived in her Myrtle Avenue house — next to the vacant house where the
attack occurred — for 40 years. She said it’s been empty for about six years, and orange signs from
the city on it designate it as vacant.

She was awakened yesterday morning when she heard police officers in the backyard of the
neighboring house.

“I hate it that I didn’t hear anything where I could do something,” Barton said.

Redginal Berry, 49, also has called Myrtle Avenue home for most of his life.

He said it’s typically a “quiet neighborhood” where people look out for one another.

He noted that perhaps something should be done to improve the corner’s lighting where students
wait for school buses. Anyone waiting that early would be out before sunrise. Or, he said, maybe
adults need to be watching.

“Maybe we’re going to have to start standing out at the corner,” he said.